Police Briefs

A Central Lubbock fire that damaged several structures and caused a carport to collapse on two cars remained under investigation Monday.

The blaze started just after 1 a.m. Sunday in the 2200 block of 31st Street.

It sparked near a storage shed in the backyard and spread to the main and back houses on the property as well as the carport, Interim Fire Marshal Garett Nelson said.

Damage was in excess of $75,000, and the storage shed was a complete loss.

The woman in the front house escaped without injury after she noticed a glow outside her window while watching TV, Nelson said.

Officials were still working to determine the cause of the fire.

16-year-old boy arrested for starting local fires

Lubbock police officers this weekend arrested a 16-year-old boy for setting fires to residential property in South Lubbock.

The teen is accused of setting on fire Sunday evening two fences in the 8900 block of Elgin Avenue, police said. The fires also damaged two Suddenlink Cable connection boxes and a Lubbock Power & Light meter, according to a police report.

Nobody was injured. However, police said the situation could have been much worse because of the high wind gusts this weekend.

Winds were relatively calm at the time — about 12 mph, according to the National Weather Services. Wind gusts on Saturday were clocked in excess of 40 mph.

Police were initially called at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday to the area of 2800 block of 88th Street to check subjects in reference to area fires, call sheet records show.

Officers located the 16-year-old boy and five other teens, who told police the 16-year-old set the fires, according to the report. The others were listed as suspects in the arsons.

Another similar fire occurred on Saturday evening. Police were called to the 3000 block of 86th Street to a report of teens setting fires in the alley. There was reportedly no property damage, according to call sheet records.